In the Ashes of War and Cigars
by The8thSphynx
Summary: It has been 5 years since the War of Iron and Fire. The people of Remnant have done their mourning, repaired their cities, and have erected monuments in the name of Heroes; human and Faunus alike. All is not at peace, though, and it lies in the hands of former enemies made allies to rid the world of the last scraps of evil. (Told in Roman's POV)
1. Prolougue

A/N: ((I give greetings to you, my fellow dweebs! I am Nerd Orange- known more popularly as The8thSphynx- and I am here today to give to you my first Fan Fiction on this forsaken site!

((I'm giving you the heads-up now; this fiction follows mainly my personal headcanons as well as many canon things mentioned in RWBY. Remember, though: It's _just_ a fan fiction. I do _not_ consider _any_ of this canon!

((There we are! Now that that is cleared up, I have two less thing to read in the comments/reviews! That being said, I hope you enjoy my first story and please drop me some pointers/reviews when you're done each chapter! Thank you so much!

Today commemorates the anniversary of the Battle of Beacon," the newscaster proudly said through the television. "Five years ago, Cinder Fall's forces were overthrown after having taken control of the City of Vale. Our heroes, having barely become Huntsmen and Huntresses yet, banded together and took back their Academy in the name of their fallen Headmaster. Other allies joined these students in their fight and soon enough a bloody battle broke out that resulted in the not only the liberation of Vale, but the disbanding of Fall's forces and the fall of Fall herself. Today, these brave heroes will be coming to Vale in-"

The newscaster's rambling, thankfully, was cut short by the Shopkeeper turning off the television to tend to her customers. She was a small, blonde woman with a constant look of uneasiness on her face, even as she spoke in a friendly tone.

"Welcome to From Dust Til' Dawn!" the shopkeeper chimed "How may I help you today?"

I took off my hat, respectfully, and set my cane on the table, "Good afternoon, my dear, my partner and I are simply looking to add a few Pyrotechnic rounds to our firearms."

The shopkeeper nodded and smiled, "Oh, it's you two! Yes, I'll get that in just a second! But, first, I have to look at your IDs… just policy."

The large cloud that had been blocking out the sun for the past half hour finally moved away, spilling through the shop window in a mess of light. Behind me, I could hear my partner murmur and adjust his sunglasses to the brightness; daytime had never really been his favourite time.

We both slipped the plastic cards out of our pockets and slid them across the counter to the woman, who picked them up and looked them over nonchalantly, as though she had been through this routine too many times to count. Her hair fell over her face, and she brushed it back with a shaking hand. Ah, yes… the shaking…

I raised my brow and spoke softly to her, "How have things been, Delcine?"

"Uhm…" she said, flexing her hand "I've been trying, but… you know… It's just always so quiet here…"

The man behind me spoke, "Have you visited?"

Delcine shook her head, "No… no, I don't think I can handle that yet."

He breathed through his nose and lowered his head, "Yeah, I get it… it's really something…"

Personally, I could not comprehend what they were feeling. The two of them were not friends; if anything, they were strangers with a common loss. It was someone dear; a friend, a family member, a _Hunter_ that chose them over life itself. I did not know this person and I had not met them. However, the guilt of their death had shown on my partner for almost two years straight, even with his wife and me to help him through his grief. Delcine, however, did not have another person to console her loss. Therefore, she shook. Therefore she sometimes cried without notice. Therefore she could not make eye contact with the man I was with.

"Oh, come now," I interjected, arms up, "It's a day of victory and peace today. I say we treat it as such. Who's up for drinks this afternoon?"

This made Delcine snap out of it with a gentle laugh, "Thank you, Roman, but I'm stuck in here all night while Dad is out running deliveries. Any other day, and I'd be out with everyone in a heartbeat."

I nodded in understanding, and Delcine turned away to get the decorative ammo for us. When she was out of sight, my partner thumped me on the back.

I turned on my heels, "What? It was getting far too dark for my tastes…"

He furrowed his brow, "Roman. Listen; just _try_ to be a little empathetic. And that _doesn't_ mean asking people in mourning out for _drinks._"

Delcine came back with the small box of red and green-lined rounds. She wished us luck in the ceremony and I paid her for the ammo. She still shivered a bit, though, as she passed the box to me. I did not put my focus on it; after all, the lady deserved some dignity. With all of that said-and-done, my partner and I left the shop, out into the newly sun-drenched streets.

I tossed my hat back on my head, "You know, Adam, I _meant_ what I said. People are expecting us, if anyone, to be _fun_ and _vivacious_ today. Besides, you should be _happy_ that you and Kitty Cat will finally have the whole day together without work interfering."

"Work _is_ interfering today," he muttered as he ran a hand through his hair and over his horns.

"Don't be so grumpy, _Bull_adonna," I shrugged. "It's first thing in the morning, you have plenty of time to _brood_. Actually why don't you head to the Academy and meet with your wifey? The ceremony won't start until later today."

Adam tried to hide it; honestly he did, but not having his mask anymore made him susceptible to showing the childishly excited look in his eyes. He nodded once, bidding me good day and calmly walked away from me. I knew, though, that as soon as he turned the corner he would break into a dead sprint towards Beacon Academy.


	2. Chasing Fire

Ah, yes… the happy couple; 'Bull and Panther'. Shortly after the war, Adam and Blake helped guide the White Fang get back into being a force meant to protect Faunus and enact equal rights_ diplomatically_. It took a while for the general public to accept them again, and there were even a few Faunus that either abandoned the organization or tried to raise a coupe. In the way of the coupe, though, they had hardly a chance in the world and ended up behind bars before they raised a single blade.

Blake, the sweet little kitten that she is, got her spot back in the White Fang with Adam on her side. From what I remember of the last big battle five years ago, Kitty Cat took absolute control of the ranks with Adam and overall granted us a guaranteed victory against Ironwood. I should know; I was in the Paladin that took out a whole battalion of Knight Droids right next to the Bull.

When the ashes of war cleared, Blake and Adam came to the conclusion that they could not bear being apart ever again. Of course, with a history like theirs, the two of them had a fair share of problems to work out. Within, two years, though, all of Vale was elated to see them become _Mrs. and Mr. Belladonna_.

In case you are wondering who cried at the wedding… it was me. I cried.

Blake, however, moved on to become a Combat professor at the newly established Beacon Academy. Adam remained with the White Fang, using his authority to maintain peace alongside the Huntsmen and Huntresses. Their time together is always _short_, by thanks of their respective fields, but it has become quite the happy marriage.

…Of course, not everyone had the fairytale ending that these two had. Many people, myself included, had one hell of a time going back to a lifestyle that did not involve thievery or murder.

But you see, dear ones, just being on the winning side of the last battle does not erase the dirty things that you did in your past. A few of my former colleagues were even executed… though I cannot say I felt any guilt; those bastards in particular got what they deserved. Glynda Goodwitch, being the new Head Huntress of Vale, would have had me hung with them if not for a little red rose that saw that I could be redeemed.

What was the total rack-up of jail time, you ask? In all honesty, I forgot because of how fantastic the number was. I will admit, however, a century or two had been crossed off thanks to my role in the final battle. Therefore, I was sentenced to serve the City of Vale to cleanse myself of the grime I accumulated over the years… Of course by 'cleanse' I mean doing the police's dirty work and hunting down former fellow crime lords as well as shaking them down for the whereabouts of Cinder.

The old Dragon Lady had disappeared off the face of Remnant when she knew her dear Fairy Godfather Ironwood would lose. For the past five years, every kingdom has been in a wild goose chase to find her. In a dishearteningly long span of time, the Royal Guard had tried to go about it on their own, without anyone on hand who knew Cinder personally or had any idea of where she may have gone. After they were done looking completely foolish, the Kingdoms of Vale and Vacuo approached myself and Mercury… the two of us more than happy to help them hunt after the witch and watch her burn in her own flames.

Mercury was hunting Cinder for Emerald, who had trusted and believed in Cinder to the point that she was killed protecting her. He and I still have not particularly got along, in the long-run, but I have frequently gotten private messages of updates on his search. Today, he is in Mistral; following what our sources tell us is a hot trail. Normally, I would be with them, but my obligations to today's ceremonies have oh-so-regretfully kept me in Vale. I wrote back to Mercury, making the boy promise to not take her head off without me there to record it.

My motivations for wanting Cinder Fall to meet her end are rhetorical at best. Therefore I will not take the time out of your day to explain my sudden awakening to bloodthirstiness. I will, though, disclose that one factor of my hatred does include one of my most beloved underlings being stuck in a mental asylum. I visit her about once a month, since daily or weekly would only irritate her more.

The city clattered about, giddy and whimsical to open up the city for their new national holiday. Trucks delivered ingredients and supplies to shops at top speed. Merchants and bakers proudly placed their workings in windows to attract foreign customers. Parents slipped into bakeries to buy sweets for their children. Children ran past each other with brandished toy weapons to reenact the 'heroes' they had heard of in fairytales. Those 'heroes', though, were more than likely doing as I was now; wandering through the streets, yawning as the morning shifted into midday.

Crosswalk lights turned green and streetlights turned red. The group of people I was with moved across the street, arms full of groceries or hands clasped on briefcases. I moved with them, my newly-refurbished Melodic Cudgel tapping rhythmically on the pavement.

My head was down as I rehearsed the ceremony in my head. It was more of a dance than just a typical 'here they are here is what they did' ceremony, you see. It was a dance that showcased the Battle of Beacon and ended with us turning towards the audience and firing our weapons into the air, signifying our victory. Our specially crafted rounds were to be fired off in a specific manner so that way the shots would get more and more vibrant as the 'fight' drew to a close, and the ending shot would be combined together as one into a magnificent firework. That firework would be the cue for the actual fireworks show to start, afterwards the Vytal festival would begin.

Because I was lost in my mental theatrics, I had not heard the voice that called out to me. I also had not been prepared for the force that knocked me forward and scattered rose petals all over the crosswalk.

"Roman~!" the female voice squeaked cheerfully. "You came!"

I recovered myself, stumbling back up and adjusting my bowler hat. Yes, I would recognize that voice and that stunning red cloak anywhere. She blinked at me with her one good eye and smiled wide, and I blinked back with _my _one good eye and a look of utter bewilderment.

Ignoring the people who pushed past us, I tipped my hat at the woman and smirked, "Hello again, Red."


	3. A Blooming Rose

I had not expected to see Ruby of all people before the ceremony. In fact, I had not seen her ever since Blake and Adam's wedding. By what newspapers headlined, she had grown up into a formidable Huntress and, as I predicted, had grown into a vision of utter beauty.

"I was afraid you wouldn't come!" she beamed

I shrugged, "Legally, I'm _required_ to be here, Red."

She lowered her head, "Ah… But, hey, don't say it like that! This is going to be awesome!"

Ruby's hair had grown out to the middle of her back, but today it was pinned up in a bun. After all these years, she had kept her signature red hood and black corset… at least now it looked a little more _appropriate_ with her matured body. Her black and silver eye patch hid where her right eye once was, but her left eye still shone like the full moon. Everything about her visage was grown-up, except for the fact that her manner still rang that of a bubbly teenager.

Car horns honked at me, scolding me for my conversation in the middle of the street with the young woman. I rolled my eyes at them, and was tugged back to the sidewalk by Ruby. She waved good-bye to the cars sweetly and apologetically before turning towards me with her bright smile.

She adjusted her hood as she spoke, "How long are you staying in Vale? I mean, I know you _live_ here, but you always get called off for that _thing_ you do. I mean, I understand why you'd have to just take off if something happened; I would have to, too. That's like our _job._ Ah, no… let me start again… _are you going to stay for the whole festival_?"

Oh, _boy_, did I miss those excited ramblings, "That remains to be said. As you just reminded me, I'm _always_ on call. Truthfully, though, I wouldn't see it as a great tragedy if I had to leave off from the festival within the next few days."

"Aw, come on!" Ruby shook her head. "You can't hate the festival _that_ much."

"Hate it?" I chuckled. "Heavens, no. I'm sure _everyone_ loves walking through crammed streets and staying up until 3 am because of the parades and parties."

"Roman you _have_ to at least be excited for the opening ceremony today. There are gonna be people counting on us! Little kids will be looking up to us and future Huntsmen and Huntress probably will be inspired by us!"

"Exactly. The last thing I need is some kid's parents blaming _me_ for their new obsession with bowler hats and cigars."

"You're always so sarcastic."

"You make it sounds like this is the first time we've _met_."

She huffed, "Don't act so cool, Roman. I _know_ you're going to love the Vytal Festival this year!"

I squinted at her, eager to change the topic, "Aren't you supposed to have a blonde berserker with you?"

Ruby paused, about to answer. For a whole half of a moment, I watched her expression go from calm to fearful and regretful. Success.

She slapped her own cheeks and gasped, "Oh, no! I totally ditched Yang when I ran after you! She's probably freaking out right trying to find me! Gah, I'm sorry, Roman, I have to go! I'll see you at the ceremony!"

The Huntress turned on her heels and geared up to dash away in a blizzard of roses again. She was frozen in place for a second before turning back around and hugging me around my waist.

"It was good to see you again! Okay, sorry, bye-!" and then she was off, painting the streets and my jacket with red roses.

Once again, I had to adjust my hat.

As I continued on my way, Ruby's change in appearance continued to go through my mind. I knew that 5 years for someone in her stage of development was the foundation of drastic bodily renovations, but to look at her as a Huntress—as a _woman_—was simply baffling. It still felt as though just last night I was running from that little Red Hood and her giant gardening tool.

Ah, but I digress. There would be plenty of time for me to reminisce with her and her fiery sister at the ceremony. For now, I had to live in the moment.

The next turn I made featured buildings that grew further apart and opened up to an expanse of grass and stones lined by an iron fence. All of the scenery funneled back to a path of cobblestones, as smooth and white as ivory; polished over years by the people that silently trudged up it. Even the air changed as I walked up the pathway, going from the aroma of fresh-baked breads and burnt candy floss to a mist of overturned earth and widow tears.

What better way to 'live in the moment' than to visit the dead?


	4. Frozen Stone

((A/N: Hello~! I know the gap between publishing chapter 1 and chapter 2 was pretty long, and you all probably hate me for it, but I have some more free time now and I'm going to write as much as I can without rushing!

((Of course, this chapter is going to be pretty long. It's probably the longest of them. The one after this will be slightly less long, but I'm writing it as this is published.

((This is the next chapter I'm going to update for the next week. After that, I'll try to get at least a chapter per week constantly for the next month! That being said, I'm very grateful for all of the favourites and reviews from you all! I hope to see this story through to the end for you!))

The cemetery was very nicely cared for; tree surgeons came once a month to treat or remove old and diseased oaks, florists decorated around where they could with various patterns and colors of plants, blacksmiths carefully maintained the iron fences, and finally, the stone smiths had the most precious job of all, which was to keep the headstones as brilliant and smooth as the day they had been placed there. It was times like this one had to step back and appreciate just how much Vale cared for the deceased.

Today, as anniversary for the Battle of Beacon, the friends and families of the fallen gathered to pay their respects. The air was not as downtrodden or depressing as expected. Quite the contrary, everyone carried a proud air about them. I knew myself that there had to be at least one child that would lay down a patch of flowers and promise the person in the grave to be as brave and strong as them. At least one husband or wife reminiscing to the headstone about their first date or the way they had been together. As I had stated before, though, I had no friends that I cared for who passed on after the battle… aside from Emerald, whom I still had barely known. But Mercury had requested she be buried in Vacuo, her home country.

On normal circumstances, I would have forced myself to at _least_ bring a bouquet of lilies. However, this trip to the cemetery was purely based on my _legal _need to visit the woman in charge of my persons. This was not the type of setting I typically prefer… in fact, I questioned if she had chosen this place in order to continue guilting me for my past life.

Further ahead, down the path, past the groups of people at each grave, I saw the two women. One with brilliant white hair that reflected any and all light that touched it and another, much older woman, with fading blonde hair spotted with grey pulled into a tight bun. Both of them were facing a great white pillar with an oddly shaped cane resting on one side of it. At the very top, carved in marble, was 'OZPIN'.

The white haired woman heard the sound of my feet and Cudgel against the path and turned to look at me with impatient eyes. I resisted the urge to roll mine back at her and instead fixed my cane under my arm as well as took off my hat. The blonde woman did not quite turn to meet me.

"Torchwick," the Ice Queen nodded flatly

"Lady Schnee," I mused with the utmost sarcasm

She gave me a scowl but then relaxed, "You've already checked in at the Police Station?"

I curtly nodded and she continued, "Then you'll be at the Opening Ceremony at noon-sharp."

It was not a question, which I felt mildly irritated at, but I nodded to the young Schnee regardless. Personally, I was not eager to speak with _her_. By what others had told me, she was considerably sweeter than she was six years ago. However, she did not extend this 'sweetness' to me. Therefore, I retaliated with the same bitterness. Therefore, Weiss Schnee and I did not grow to be good acquaintances.

The blonde woman interjected our moment of tension, "You were with Mr. Belladonna this morning, I recall. But he's not with you right now. Has he already left off to be with Professor Belladonna?"

"Yes he has," I said with a bit of a cooler tone. "I'll be sure to message him to check in with you before noon."

She waved her hand dismissively, still staring at the white pillar, "That won't be necessary. So long as he has made his presence aware to a Huntsmen or Huntress of Vale, he's fine."

I squinted and moved my gaze off to the side. Then why would she target _me_ for this monotonous meeting?

"And in case you're wondering why _you_ had to check in," she chimed. "It's because, unlike Mr. Belladonna… I simply don't _trust_ you still, Mr. Torchwick. You were a crime lord and a sad excuse for a human being _long_ before the war. No amount of sting operations will change that."

My lips pressed together and Weiss Schnee suppressed a giggle. I was far too smart to retaliate… mainly because she was quite right. I threw my hat back on my head and stood straight, as though I had become a soldier saluting a general.

"Am I dismissed, Ms. Goodwitch?" I politely asked through a strained smile

I could hear her breath through her nose, "Yes, that will be all. Find us again after the opening ceremony."

Weiss Schnee interjected, "And _don't_ be late again."

A friendly chuckle was forced from my throat and I made motions to leave. However, I felt some form of tug in me. Adam's words came back to mind; '…just _try_ to be a little empathetic today'. Ah, even when he was with his wife across town, the bull _still_ nagged me. I huffed and turned to look at the grave they stood at.

The young Schnee girl was very tightly drawn; be it by the Head Huntress of Vale at her side or that this was the grave of a widely respected man, I did not know. Goodwitch, however, did not face the pillar with any form of formality. Rather, the manner in which she stood with her relaxed shoulders, still hands, and softly placed feet would give one the impression that she was enjoying a conversation with a close friend.

Goodwitch inclined her head towards me ever so slightly, "Is there something else that you need, Mr. Torchwick?"

I rubbed my hands together, the finely crafted leather gliding over itself without a sound. I did not personally know the former Headmaster of Beacon. Nor did I personally know Glynda Goodwitch. However, I did remember seeing the funeral from my holding cell just after the final battle;

_The sky had been rather clear in the morning, but just before noon a parade of dark clouds stepped in the way of the sun. No rain came down and no thunder tapped at the sky. I was holed up in my cement room, awaiting a monotonous trial that would happen in the next three days. The prison director thought it would be delightful to have me placed in a room that perfectly overlooked the city… specifically where the cemetery was._

_ I was none too aware of what the day was. I followed my usual routine; wake up, finely comb over myself, stretch myself out to avoid losing figure, receive and eat the breakfast that had been slid under my door as well as read the morning paper. Nothing special really came to my attention until I had read the headline:_

_ '__Beacon Headmaster Ozpin's Funeral Scheduled for Today.'_

_ The title caught me off guard, since I had no knowledge that the old man had even passed away. Reading further along, I came to be less surprised. Ozpin had tried to protect a handful of students… Unfortunately his opponent was a man with an army of unfeeling androids. The paper contained a brief testimony from one of the students that the fight was brutal, fantastic, and Ozpin was valiant… however, he perished by a cheap shot. _

_ Folding back up the paper, I decided to distant myself from reliving the same story and move to the window. I very much enjoyed looking outside on the town; it certainly gave a better experience than waking outside and having things thrown at you. My eyes—my good one, at least—caught sight of a long line of black congregating to the southernmost part of town. There was another line on the street next to it, and another to match flowing into it. I leaned closer and squinted to see that the black rivers were people. Occasionally a line would be broken by a passing car… but most of the cars that were moving were moving to the same place as the people. And then I saw it; all together, they were moving to the cemetery. _

_ I chuckled at the sight of this, purely based of how simply ridiculous it looked. So many people… possibly more people than there were in Vale as a whole. How in Remnant would they _fit_ all of those people in there? At this, I laughed again… and then I grew silent. _

_ There was a deafening silence amongst the crowd. Occasionally there was chattering or murmurs between people, but everything else was filed with the sound of procession. Then everyone stopped. At the funeral, a large and thick circle of people were crowded around a white pillar and black box. There were two women standing on either side. One I recognized as Glynda Goodwitch, the other I assumed was the undertaker. Between them was a man dressed in black and red. _

_ He stepped up to face the crowd, and said things that I could not hear. Because I could not hear him, I diverted my attention away and flicked my gaze to two girls whom were staring at the speaker attentively. One had brilliant blonde hair, the other a shining red cloak. I was so amazed by seeing the sisters that I did not see the man in red and black cease his speaking and move towards the girls, both of them taking him into their arms reassuringly._

_ Then Glynda approached the black box, and gently placed what looked like a white rose on its cover. She stepped away, and next was the man in red and black with his rose. Closely behind him followed Red and her sister as well as a formidably built blond man whose sniffling and sobbing I could hear from even where I sat. After that there were so many people who stepped forward just to place their flowers on the box. I was so moved by the number of people that I turned away from my window to breath._

_ Everything was completely silent for another ten minutes. I wondered if the ceremony was over, and moved again to look out of my cell window. Someone shouted something loudly, but I could not understand. Not half a second passed when a thunderous roar came from the crowd. It was so loud that I assumed everyone shouted it… even the sky…_

_ "__LONG LIVE BEACON!"_

Glynda narrowed her eye at me, "Is there something else you need, Mr. Torchwick?"

Receding from my memory, I opened my mouth to speak, "He… must have been a great man."

She paused at this and half-turned to me. Glynda blinked through her thick glasses and then lowered her gaze, "Yes, he was… He led this school with everything in him and taught the greatest Huntsmen and Huntresses in history…"

I bowed my head, "As I've seen… He would be quite proud of what his students and peers have done, then."

This made Weiss Schnee look down and smile softly. I had only seen her wear such a look once at Blake and Adam's wedding, so one could imagine that such an expression came to me as a shock. Glynda had ever-so-slightly raised one corner of her mouth but quickly flattened her expression.

"Thank you, Mr. Torchwick. But you still need to check in with me after the ceremony."

Damn.


End file.
